New Book Advocates Empathy as Key to Successful Mergers and Acquisitions
A new business book is challenging conventional wisdom around mergers and acquisitions (M&A), arguing that empathy—not aggressive tactics—is the key to successful and sustainable growth. The Seller Whisperer: Empathetic M&A Strategies to Drive Hyper-Rewarding Hypergrowth by Ignacio Macias and Carlos de Torres was released this week through Forbes Books.
Macias and de Torres, both seasoned business leaders with global experience, present a methodology that prioritizes trust, respect, and mutual benefit in deal-making. Their approach, they argue, offers a pathway to “hypergrowth” in the lower-middle market, an area often overlooked in broader M&A discourse.
"Empathy, heartful concern for your deal partners, going the extra mile to honor the other party’s interests—these are all descriptors of a ‘seller whisperer,’” said Macias. “It’s about nurturing a mutually rewarding relationship.”
The book includes real-world case studies and a step-by-step framework intended for entrepreneurs, executives, and investors. It emphasizes practices such as building trust-based relationships, approaching negotiations with a win-win mindset, and integrating businesses while preserving their legacy.
Macias brings decades of experience, having led a European healthcare consultancy to a 40x exit before turning to investment and M&A. His recent work in the U.S. has focused on lower middle-market deals, reportedly growing one company’s value from $7 million to over $100 million in three years.
Co-author Carlos de Torres has worked with Macias on various deals and brings executive experience from companies like Google and Microsoft, where he oversaw venture capital, cloud operations, and international partnerships.
The Seller Whisperer is now available on Amazon and was published by Forbes Books, the business-focused imprint of Forbes Media.